Monthly Archives: August 2012

Paying Off Student Loans Sooner Rather Than Later

August 29, 2012 by Dale Coltrane · Leave a comment

0416_student-loans_392x392It’s become almost impossible nowadays to graduate college without incurring student loans. Today’s graduates rack up loans of up to $20,000 by the time they have their first job. This has put many young professionals in a dilemma: should they start paying off their loans as soon as they can, or should they be saving money for a mortgage?

For most people, the best option is to pay off their debts slowly but regularly. One should first start off with the highest interest loans first, such as payday loans and then credit card debts, followed by mortgages and student loans. Consolidating your higher interest debts may help with this. If a student opts for the floating rate option, then chances are that the current interest rate will be lower, making it easier to pay off the debt sooner rather than later. Any interest payments will also go towards pushing down personal income tax rates, as long as the ownership is structured properly.

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How Does Teaching Help to Start a Side Business?

August 24, 2012 by Dale Coltrane · Leave a comment

There are quite a few reasons why it is easier for teachers to start and successfully continue a side business. The first reason is that the teaching job gives a person a steady and stable income, based on which the person can start venturing out. However, the earning from this profession is different in different places. In Canada, this earning is quite handsome and so it is all the more lucrative for a person who wants to start a side business, to take up the profession of teaching.

Besides the salary, teachers receive various benefits such as life insurance and health insurance from their employers. Some of their benefits are highly subsidized. So they really need not have to spend much time in handling these important things of life themselves. When you are a teacher, these things are automatically taken care of. This provides the teachers extra time to spend on other interests.

Another important attraction of teaching is the long days of leave that you cannot get in any other profession. Summer vacation, spring break and Christmas vacation are just a few of them. These long vacations provide the teachers with ample opportunity and time to work on something else. You can even take a year long leave or apply for flexible hours.

A very important aspect of teaching is that teachers are backed by a very strong union. This union takes up their cases and benefits very strongly. You will enjoy a very high job security in this profession. So, what are you waiting for? Work hard as a teacher and venture into the world of business in your spare time.

Posted in employment.

Saving Up on Group Voucher Websites

August 21, 2012 by Dale Coltrane · Leave a comment

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One of the biggest trends that has hit the Internet in the last few years is the group discount or voucher deal. These are websites that offer daily discounts for almost all kinds of products and services for as long as a minimum number of people accept the deal. These companies are able to give away extremely high discounts ( some even as high as 90 percent ) because they’re banking on dozens or even hundreds of people taking the deal. From a customer’s viewpoint however, are these vouchers worth it? If you ask the merchants, you would get a resounding no. This means that for the consumer, the deals must be especially great.
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The Pros and Cons of Bicycling to Work

August 16, 2012 by Dale Coltrane · Leave a comment

I am an avid cyclist, so I do have a strong bias here. However, an increasing number of office goers are replacing their cars with bikes to go to their workplace. The main reasons for changing the mode of their transport are economy and health. Bicycling is much cheaper than driving a car and it is an excellent form of exercise. However, bicycling need not be as cheap as one might expect. Due to different reasons, cycling can become a costly affair. Let us look at those reasons:

The Bicycle

Bicycles of different make and model are available and the choice depends on the preferences of the rider. Depending upon the make and quality, their prices vary vastly. If it is speed that you want, a road bike will be the most suitable one for you. If comfort is what you are looking for, there is the commuting bike. A mountain bike will serve all your purposes if you make some alterations to it. The most expensive component of bicycling to work is the bicycle itself. But if you buy a used bicycle, you will be saving a lot in this regard.

Accessories to a Bicycle

A bicycle surely needs other accessories as well. There has to be a headlight, an inflator, extra tubes, comfortable seats and panniers (what are those? Uncommon word, I know). You may also have to buy a backpack to carry your personal belongings. All these things together will cost you a considerable amount of money. This is in addition to the cost of the bicycle itself.

Special Clothing

As a bicyclist, you must have special clothing to protect you from the elements of nature. The special clothing will also make bicycling comfortable. If you ride in your office dress, your dress will become dirty by the time you reach your office. Then there is the helmet, the gloves and so on. These items are again going to cost you dearly.

It now seems that the initial cost of riding on a bicycle to your office is quite high but since it doesn’t need any fuel and is almost maintenance free, you will be making huge savings in the long run. By bicycling to work every day, you will stay fit and there will be a marked improvement in your overall health. This is the bonus for you.

 

 

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Do you tip for poor service?

August 15, 2012 by Dale Coltrane · Leave a comment

 

There are many occasions in your life that calls for you to pay a good tip. The services that you receive from restaurants, barber shops, taxi cabs, limousine services etc. are some of these common occasions. Now, some of these service providers can disappoint you with the poor quality of their services. In such occasions, some of you may be forced to think about withholding the tip altogether. How do you tackle these situations?

When you are satisfied with the service, you must pay a decent tip, assuming you are in a country where tips are paid. It can be anything from 15 % and up depending on your financial ability and generosity. Excellent service needs to be appreciated and paid for with a good tip. On the contrary, when you are poorly treated, you are likely to withhold the tip. That is a natural tendency of all human beings and no one is going to blame you for that. But, the server may not be responsible for the poor service provided for you. If the management is responsible for the poor training and facilities provided, then it is not fair on your part to put the blame on the poor server. In such circumstances, it would be better on your part to pay the tip promptly and file a complaint with the higher ups of the firm.

 

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